The Spokesperson

"The Hunter Exam had been successfully passed, and our Hunter licenses were already in hand. As for the next arrangements? Five people passed this Hunter Exam in total. We were collectively assigned to train at the Hunter Association's West Blue branch and were currently en route aboard an airship... Netero personally ordered it."

On the airship, Bred stood by the window, gazing down at the magnificent sea. Seemingly absentmindedly holding his phone, he delivered a progress report to the four-person team's direct superior—the highest-ranking officer of Cipher Pol, Minister Honest.

"Nom~ nom~ gulp~" After laboriously swallowing the steak in his mouth, Minister Honest swirled his wineglass and smiled. "Well done!"

Bred replied unhurriedly, "That was the good news. There's also bad news."

"Alright, I knew it." Minister Honest exhaled. His words were questioning, but his tone was certain. "Your identities were exposed?"

Bred said, "Yes."

"Have you reflected on the reasons?" Minister Honest was not angered in the slightest, as though he had long prepared himself for it.

Bred pondered. "There were many reasons. First, our plan to infiltrate the Hunter Association was prepared too hastily, and our strategy was too crude. Second, there was an asymmetry and lack of timely information. Then there were our own shortcomings, such as strength and experience. In short, the moment I met Netero's gaze—the look of an old man watching an immature child being egged on into stealing—I immediately realized that our identities had been exposed. He knew we were government spies."

"Uh..."

Bred's nearly perfect, textbook-like answer left the greasy, overweight middle-aged man, whose actual level of education was abysmal, speechless.

After a long while.

Minister Honest gloomily changed the subject. "That 'look of an old man watching an immature child being egged on into stealing'—what kind of look is that?"

"It was pity for an immature child's actions, an attempt to correct them, yet also worry that exposing them would make the child flee in panic. Then the child, who gained nothing, would be punished by the instigator behind the scenes. At the same time, it was filled with deep helplessness, because the instigator had probably not coerced an immature child into stealing for the first time," Bred explained metaphorically.

Minister Honest: "..."

"Then, sir? Here is the question: should we continue with the subsequent plan? If we do, what level of support will we receive?" Bred paused slightly. "And what is the final plan?"

"Mm~ smack~~~"

Minister Honest silently continued wolfing down meat.

Bred waited patiently.

"This is a matter of great importance. The subsequent plan must be carried out! Intelligence indicates that the Hunter Association's History Hunters and Ancient Ruins Hunters have repeatedly violated government laws, excavating the 'Void Century.' They have even colluded with the great pirate Roger, who has continuously been collecting Poneglyphs. They pose a grave threat to the government's security and rule." Minister Honest said, "I will support you as much as possible."

"And the final plan?" Bred asked. "I have always felt that you haven't been telling subordinates like us the full truth. You've withheld too much information, creating this asymmetry and lack of timely intelligence, which led to our identities being exposed."

"There is no final plan, really. I even had doubts about whether you would pass the Hunter Exam! Previously, we were short-handed, and with the Hunter Exam approaching, 'the famous agents, most ordinary agents, and even agent reserves who had completed their studies at the Cipher Pol Agent Academy all bore the mark of Cipher Pol and were unsuitable for infiltrating the Hunter Association.' That was indeed why I went to the academy and hastily selected you half-trained agents to carry out this infiltration plan," Minister Honest said without losing his temper.

Bred's eyes shifted. "Short-handed? As the government's eyes and ears across the world, Cipher Pol is actually short-handed? What caused Cipher Pol to be so understaffed?"

"The Whitebeard Pirates filled the vacant position of Second Division Commander. A man named Kozuki Oden. You wouldn't understand even if I told you," Minister Honest answered concisely.

Minister Honest was wrong. Bred understood. Everything suddenly clicked into place.

Through news media such as television and newspapers, Bred had learned about the current state of the world. The World Government dominated alone, sanctioning Wano Country and suppressing pirates, while the Hunter Association balanced all three sides.

The Roger Pirates, Whitebeard Pirates, and Flying Pirates firmly occupied the summit of the loose pirate factions. If only the Roger Pirates were continuously collecting Poneglyphs and making contact with the Hunter Association's History Hunters and Ancient Ruins Hunters, perhaps the World Government could remain composed, with sufficient confidence and means to prevent the Roger Pirates from deciphering the secrets hidden in history—the portions unfavorable to the World Government, the map pointing to "Laugh Tale" at the end of the Grand Line, and the whereabouts of the Ancient Weapons.

But it was common knowledge that the Flying Pirates coveted the Ancient Weapons.

Now that the Whitebeard Pirates had filled their vacant Second Division Commander position with a man named Kozuki Oden, he became the final straw that broke the camel's back and set off a chain reaction. After all, those capable of deciphering history did not necessarily have to be historians; they could also be stonemasons. Kozuki Oden was that stonemason. The Poneglyphs passed down through history had been engraved by his family.

That meant the Whitebeard Pirates might imitate the Roger Pirates.

Whether it was the portions of history unfavorable to the World Government, the whereabouts of the Ancient Weapons, or a pirate unprecedentedly reaching "Laugh Tale" at the end of the Grand Line, ascending the Pirate King's throne, and unifying the scattered pirate factions—these were all things the World Government would never allow to happen, yet all had a chance of happening.

Especially now, that possibility had increased to the World Government's warning threshold. Naturally, the World Government was doing everything it could to guard against it. Thus, Cipher Pol's overall focus had shifted, inevitably causing a shortage of manpower.

And so, in an urgent and difficult moment, Minister Honest had no choice but to go to the Cipher Pol Agent Academy and, rather like a starving man unable to be picky about food, select half-trained agents to form a four-person team and carry out the plan to infiltrate the Hunter Association.

Even if Minister Honest was still holding something back, Bred felt it could not be much.

"By the way, are you representing all four of you right now?" Minister Honest suddenly asked.

Bred thought for a moment. "More or less. I'm good at consolidating opinions, and they don't have much of an opinion themselves, so I'm the one responsible for delivering progress reports."

"I originally thought Esdeath or Melard would take control of the conversation. Instead, it was you, the youngest one." Minister Honest feasted heartily. "Nom nom nom~~~ As expected of a scientist's son—smart as a monster. Alright! That's enough. I need to focus..."

"Beep, beep, beep~~~"

A busy signal.

Bred put away his phone and returned to the lounge. Avoiding Jin's gaze, he made several hand signals, conveying the message: "Continue with the subsequent plan."

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